1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention generally relates to a measurement device for measuring a linear displacement of a linkage interconnecting a shifter assembly and a transmission of a vehicle. The linkage being linearly displaced in response to movement of the shifter assembly between a first position and a second position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The linear displacement of the linkage interconnecting the shifter assembly and the transmission must be known so that the linkage may be properly designed for each vehicle, to ensure that the interaction between the shifter assembly and the transmission functions properly. The shifter assembly may be located on a steering column, or alternatively may be disposed within a center counsel of the vehicle. The linkage typically includes a combination of rods and/or push pull cables to transmit linear movement between the shifter mechanism and the transmission. The precise linear distance the shifter assembly travels when moving between a first position and a second position, i.e., between park and drive or between park and reverse, must be known and be coordinated with the transmission so that the movement of the shifter assembly corresponds to the accompanying movement of the transmission.
Previously, individual measurement devices have been constructed for each specific vehicle design. Accordingly, the prior art measurement devices were specific to each different vehicle. These prior art measurement devices typically coupled the shifter assembly to a series of rods, which were linked to one or more gages that would measure the movement of the connecting rods. If for example the shifter assembly was mounted to the steering column, the entire steering column/shifter assembly would need to be mounted to the prior art measurement devices. While these systems provided an estimate of the linear displacement of the linkage, the results were not exact because the prior art measurement devices did not actually simulate the actual movement of the linkage. This is because the prior art measurement device only moves linearly, whereas the actual linkage pivots along arcuate path in addition to moving linearly. Furthermore, these prior art measurement devices were large, heavy and cumbersome.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a more versatile measurement device that accurately simulates the movement of the linkage to measure the actual linear displacement of the linkage.